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A while back I wrote about my dining experience at La Table Fine and the details of why I enjoyed it.
I like La Table Fine's fine dining experience and to be honest, it's the only high end cuisine in Lebanon's Keserwan and Northern region. La Table Fine, part of my Top 10 best French restaurants in Lebanon maintains its reputation in my books and its is even climbing higher.
The very first impression while entering the door of this couple of million dollars restaurant transports you into another dimension of luxury and style. La Table Fine is a complete experience of Mediterranean wonders under one roof.
Every detail counts:
The long sculpted columns, immense ceramic tiles, bamboo and wood tent shaped ceiling... Fine cutlery, relaxing white table cloths, blue napkins and perfect wine glasses pleasant to drink with; are a few of the relaxing details of the U Bay restaurant. We started with a welcome drink on the sofas under the stone arcade before moving to the large rectangular table specially prepared for our group of 13 guests. We all enjoyed a sumptuous dinner while conversing easily with one another.
The Menu details:
- Three markings next to some of the dishes: Specialty, today's catch, light plates.
- A note asking the happy customers to keep a 10% tip for the hard working staff.
- A simple yet complete choice from the four corners of the Mediterranean.
The Menu sections:
EntreesFroides, EntreesChaudes, Soupes, Comptoir de Poissons et Crustaces, SaladesFraiches, Pates Artisanales de la Tablefine, Plats Chauds, Desserts. Today's wine choice was ChateauMarsyas 2010. One of the best light local wines you can ask for. To start with, we were offered: Pomme de Terre Bio, Brie aux Truffes. Cylindrical potato cups filled with cheese and truffle oil that we all appreciated.
My today's choice:
- Risotto au Basilic te Pignons de Pins (risotto, pesto de basilic, pignons grilles, mascarpone et Julie d'olive): Perfectly cooked rice, green basil mix, pine nuts and small cheese squares. A delicious and successful dish much better than the lemon risotto I tried on my last visit.
- Filet de boeuf angus (pomme de terre farcie, fine mousseline aux echalottes roties, sauce aux cepes, jus de viande et sauce au Poivre) : excellent meat quality served with mushroom sauce and thin sliced tomatoes filled with puree. Melting ingredients enchant your palate.
The details I like:
- One person at the table didn't ask for an entree, but was presented an empty plate to be able to taste from the others: I liked this gesture.
- The bread comes in a variety of baguette, cereal and olive. The olive brown bread is filled with Tapenade - crunchy on the outside, warm on the inside and very tasty.
- Women are served first, elderly men follow and then the younger generation.
- After we requested that the music be toned down, the head waiter happily did so.
- Our waiter Tiphaine is very professional. She knows the menu by heart and gives her recommendations about every dish. Her smile and attention are very comforting.
The improvements needed:
- The Mille Feuilles a la Francaise, Mousseline Vanillee, Glace Vanille is way too creamy and too heavy. Although the presentations and the crunchy layers of puff pastry are perfect, but the mix of Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream) and Creme Chantilly (whipped cream) is a bad idea. The Creme Chantilly should be removed from the combination.
- I would also recommend that they tune down the music a bit. Calmer music is preferable in a fine dining restaurant.
The Chef:
Chef Jerome Serres, with a background in Paris and, later, in Greece at SPONDI where he was awarded his Michelin stars three years in a row, is known for his knowledge of Mediterranean cuisine, especially seafood. But he is unique to many chefs from French backgrounds. MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF JEROME SERRES REVEALS HIS PASSION FOR HARD WORK, LOCAL INGREDIENTS… AND BREAD AND CHEESE!
La Table Fine maintains its rating at 08/10 with a quality and service that is always evolving and improving.
